Fishless Cycle

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railer20

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T TwoTankAmin F fishorama
Made my wife look this evening and I think I stressed her out. She felt pressure ???.

Low Ph - 7.6
High Ph - she says closer to 7.4 than 7.8
Ammonia - .5ppm
Nitrite - she thinks closer to 1ppm
 
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fishorama

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Yeah, we have those issues sometimes, that's why I brought it up, lol. All this means is your numbers are probably somewhere in between...there isn't 1 "right" answer...but there doesn't have to be, it's more of a range...There's a lot of "squish factors" on many fish tank parameters, we do the best we can...I think you're doing very well, almost done cycling...hang tough! Not long now...
 

railer20

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Readings this morning similar to last night:

7.5-7.6 Ph
.5 ammonia
1 nitrite
5-10 nitrate
 
Apr 2, 2002
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When it comes to being in water, it does not matter whether one adds ammonia as NH3 or ammonium as NH4. Once it hits the water it will change based on the pH and Temperature of the water. (Salinity will also have an effect, but we are talking FW here.) What we are usually measuring with an ammonia test is Total Ammonia (TA) which is the sum of NH3 + NH4. When one adds enough ammonium chloride to a tank to produce 3 ppm of total ammonia, they are essentially adding 100% NH4. As soon as it can circulate some you can test and get a a reading of 4 ppm of TA. However, given the proper equipment or data on TA, pH and temperature, one will discover some amount of the TA is not longer NH4, it has turned to NH4.

The above works if the ammonia added top a tank is in the form of 100% NH3. Put in enough NH3 to create 3 ppm of TA into the same tank as above and in short order you will have the exact same balance betwwen NH3 and NH4 that resulted from adding all NH4. Here is an example. Two tanks, identical in every way possible except that Tank A has a pH of 8.0 and Tank B has a pH of 7.0. Each have 3 ppm of ammonia added to them. Lets also look at each tank using two different temperatures as well. 75F and 82F. Here is what you will discover;

Tank A: 3 ppm TA, pH 7, temp 75-> NH3 = 0.0159ppm, NH4 = 2.9841ppm. Raise the temp to 83F and NH3 = 0.0215ppm, NH4 = 2.9785ppm

Tank B: 3 ppm TA, pH 8, temp 75-> NH3 = 0.1513ppm, NH4 = 2.8487ppm. Raise the temp to 82F and NH3 = 0.0215ppm, NH4 = 2.9785ppm
 
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Apr 2, 2002
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Argh, I edited this and lost a lot of it as it took more the 15 minutes.

In the above tank A is fish safe for a bit of time while tank B is killing them.

You should do nothing now. Tonight test for ammonia and nitrite. Ammonia appears to be dropping, good. Nitrite is not rising, good. I think you are waiting for the conditions to call for ammonia Dose #4 in the article to be added . What you want to see is ammonia at .25 ppm or lower and nitrite clearly under 1 ppm. When you see both of these conditions, add Dose #4 using 1/4 teaspoon of the Ammonium Chloride.

After the addition test again in 24 as in the article and you will know if you are cycled or if Dose #5 may be needed.
 

FreshyFresh

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Sorry if I missed it, but the only other anomaly I can think of is make sure you are doing the nitrate test 100% per the instructions, which includes shaking the crap out of bottle #2 for at least one minute prior to dispensing it, then shaking the completed test tube until your arm hurts. THEN wait 5min and read the results.

I'm probably off on the instructions a bit, but you get the basics. Performing the nitrate test is a common one for folks to get wrong.
 
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railer20

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Sorry if I missed it, but the only other anomaly I can think of is make sure you are doing the nitrate test 100% per the instructions, which includes shaking the crap out of bottle #2 for at least one minute prior to dispensing it, then shaking the completed test tube until your arm hurts. THEN wait 5min and read the results.

I'm probably off on the instructions a bit, but you get the basics. Performing the nitrate test is a common one for folks to get wrong.
yea that one sucks. I think (hope) it says shake 30 sec by itself then 1 min in test tube.
 

fishorama

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TTA, I was confused by your first post today (#34). It says some NH4 has turned to NH4. I know 1 of those is NH3 but which 1? I'm guessing higher pH = higher NH3...is that right? (ok football & wine, sheesh)
 
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railer20

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T TwoTankAmin tonights readings....as best I can tell:
Ammonia - .5 or possibly between .25 and .5
Nitrite - 1ppm or slightly less
Nitrate - 10ppm
 
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